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DirecTV dish install on a rental home

I'm a current DirecTV customer, and I'm getting ready to rent a home. I noticed that the contract specifies that I may not install a Satellite dish, amongst other things.

I found that the FCC OTARD rules prohibits a Landlord from preventing a Satellite installation on a rental home since there is no common area like there would be in an apartment or condo. A few quick questions:

1) This should overrule any Local Law or HOA rule, correct?
2) I assume the HOA may dictate placement, etc. but not prevent installation altogether?
3) If so, why is Landlord permission often requested for dish installation?
4) If I install without permission, that FCC law would prevent them from terminating the rental contract, correct?

I hope that is not too many questions! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

While you can have a dish installed, the landlord has the right to not let you drill any holes, or "damage" the property in any manor.
I moved into an apartment not long ago, and needed to work out a way to route my cables without making any changes to the property.

When I move out, I can return the property to the same condition as when I moved in.

The HOA can't keep you from putting up a dish anywhere in your yard or house in order to get clear line of site. But the owner can deny you permission to install it on or drill holes in his house. You might not have any other choice except to put it on a tripod. Hopefuly the home is already cable ready. Most newer homes are.

There are a variety of non-penetrating mounts, such as tripods, pole mounts, bucket of cement, etc. To get coax inside you can look at flat coax that goes under a door or window, or consider a thin strip of wood with holes drilled in it for the coax which is placed at the bottom of a window, then put some locking strips in so the window can't be opened beyond that.

One of the things I noticed while looking for a new place in the city here, is that landlords here are now charging insane "satellite dish deposits" to skirt the law. One of the places i looked at required renters insurance (somewhat normal around here) AND a $2,000 deposit!!!

I promptly (and politely) told him where to stuff his rental application.

One of the things I noticed while looking for a new place in the city here, is that landlords here are now charging insane "satellite dish deposits" to skirt the law. One of the places i looked at required renters insurance (somewhat normal around here) AND a $2,000 deposit!!!

I promptly (and politely) told him where to stuff his rental application.

As far as I know this is against the OTARD rules as well.

Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."
-by Jack Handy

One of the things I noticed while looking for a new place in the city here, is that landlords here are now charging insane "satellite dish deposits" to skirt the law. One of the places i looked at required renters insurance (somewhat normal around here) AND a $2,000 deposit!!!

I promptly (and politely) told him where to stuff his rental application.

The HOA can't keep you from putting up a dish anywhere in your yard or house in order to get clear line of site. But the owner can deny you permission to install it on or drill holes in his house. You might not have any other choice except to put it on a tripod. Hopefuly the home is already cable ready. Most newer homes are.

That's not entirely true. They can restrict where you can install the dish. They can tell you it can only go in the back yard if you have LOS there.

That's not entirely true. They can restrict where you can install the dish. They can tell you it can only go in the back yard if you have LOS there.

Yes, I agree with you. I guess I wasn't clear enough on that. But if the owner won't allow a dish, and the OP can't get line of site on a tripod or a pole, from the back or the side of the house, I would think he is up the creek. Same as appartment complexes. I've seen dishes on tripods from balconies facing the southern sky, but those that don't have LOS, are out of luck. And as another poster pointed out, I don't think the installers will install a dish, on the house, without consent from the owner.

Somewhere in another thread I read here there is a site that will give you line of site. Just type in the address and it will give you line of site for your home..But for the life of me I do not know where I read it on this board..Maybe someone else Knows where this is..

Somewhere in another thread I read here there is a site that will give you line of site. Just type in the address and it will give you line of site for your home..But for the life of me I do not know where I read it on this board..Maybe someone else Knows where this is..

I did some research try this website..it will give you a general idea where the dish will be located so you can see if there are any line of site issues.

That's the website many of us use. There is also a smartphone app associated with it that shows almost exactly where the satellites are by pointing your phone as if it was the dish. It's really handy for tight los installations.

I don't think the installers will install a dish, on the house, without consent from the owner.

Oh yea, they will, at least here in Austin.

I've now had it done THREE TIMES to me on various properties. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with it, but need a veto over the method of installation. Once, an idiot did a roof install that leaked from day one and cost me some serious cash.